Mutual Enemies
by shy-n-great
Summary: A devastating attack leaves Hermione and Lucius deeply heartbroken and not sure how to move forward. What happens when two people, who hate each other, combine their strengths to help each other? HGLM There will be DH spoilers. AU I suppose.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I can't tell you how much I'd love to own Lucius! But he's all J K Rowling's...as well as the rest.

**A/N:** For those following Matchmaking the Past, I'm really sorry for not updating, but instead posting another new story. I just couldn't help myself. Everytime I listen to Aquarius by Within Temptation, I get another new idea for a Lucius/Hermione fic. So for months I've been resisting the urge until I finish Matchmaking, but could no longer do it when this baby came roaming through my imagination. Here it is for your perusal. I've not completely checked it over for missing words and grammatical errors and stuff, I'm just eager to see how this is received before I fine comb it. Hope you all enjoy!

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**Prologue**

A warm and sunny June day kept the patrons of Diagon Alley in happy spirits, with just a hint of breeze to stop them getting too hot and flustered. The shops and cafes all had a steady pace of customers; some of them taking a lunch break, some of them beginning to stock up for when the children were home from Hogwarts.

It had been two years since Lord Voldemort had been defeated, and it was only now that life was beginning to settle down for Harry Potter. He could now walk down Diagon Alley with fellow Wizards and Witches content with a wave from him, rather than a dozen photos in every position imaginable to mankind as well as some very friendly kisses for the girls. Ginny Weasley was not amused about the latter.

On this carefree day, Harry was meeting up with his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, for lunch. With all three of them busy in different departments of the Ministry of Magic, they took every lunch hour together.

"Where've you been?" Hermione demanded indignantly while tapping her watch.

"I had a training session today," Harry told her as way of explanation.

"Not good enough," Hermione mocked him with a smile.

"Guess what, mate?" Ron jumped in straight away with a smirk.

"You've finally found somewhere to live," Harry guessed.

"Not yet," Hermione told him. "But we have finally set a date!"

"Who won in the end?" Harry asked. For months Hermione and Ron had been trying to agree on a date for their wedding.

"I did!" they said in unison eyeing up the other at their audacity to say it was them.

"When is it then?" Harry quickly moved on before another argument broke out about the date.

"Next June," Ron answered.

"We should have found somewhere to live by then and finished our training," Hermione continued.

"Sounds like this is it- definitely going to happen?" Harry took a sip of his drink.

"Yes, we've told my mum, so there's no going back on it now," Ron teased a little. It was met with a small slap on the back of his head.

They spent the next forty-five minutes putting the world to rights...starting with the departments they worked in. Harry thought that more time should be spent on learning defensive spells. Ron thought that there should be less paperwork. Hermione thought there should be more books on the shelves.

It was as they gathered their belongings and got up to leave that screams from outside shattered the hum of chatter in the cafe. Everyone paused and glanced to each other for answers that they couldn't give. Without a second thought, Harry, Ron and Hermione raced outside, the rest of the patrons following them.

As they got outside, people were frantically racing past them; some were throwing spells over their shoulders. Distant 'cracks' and 'pops' could be heard as a few of them Disapparated away.

"Look," Hermione pointed to a spot near Gringotts.

Four figures were moving towards them firing spells in every direction. Some missed...some hit with sickening accuracy. Rogue Death Eaters was the first thought from the trio moving to these fierce figures, rather than running away, but something was different about what they were wearing; the noticeable one was that the robes were a dark blood red.

Aurors began to appear, surrounding the attackers. This didn't seem to faze the attackers as they redirected their attacks on to them instead.

"It was only a matter of time," Hermione stated calmly to the other two while taking out her wand.

The three of them spilt up and joined the Aurors. There was no denying that whoever these people were, they were fiercely powerful. Aurors were trying in vain to split them up and corner them on their own, but it seemed they knew that if they were allowed to split up that they would be weaker.

Hermione lost sight of Harry and Ron as she raced around trying to spot any weaknesses in the small group while avoiding any stray spells. Some people had stayed behind rather than run away to help fight; it wasn't making a difference. To Hermione's surprise, she actually saw Lucius and Draco Malfoy fighting against these figures. She would have actually put money on two of the cloaked attackers being Malfoys.

When it looked like the attackers were losing some energy, Hermione took this moment to throw some of the more powerful hexes she'd been working on at them. One of the middle ones dropped instantly and shook uncontrollably. The remaining three instantly moved around their companion to protect him.

Before anyone could really grasp at what was happening, the attackers seemed to draw some kind of energy from the fallen one. She couldn't understand why, but Hermione knew that everyone needed to be on the ground. Now!

"Get down!" Hermione began to scream as she raced through the crowds.

The attackers threw out some more curses at people. Hermione spotted a flash of ginger hair ahead of her. At breakneck speed, Hermione pushed her way to him while desperately forcing people to get on the floor. Some took in her advice while others were too engrossed in throwing their own curses.

"Granger!" she heard her name being called behind her. Trying to keep her eye on Ron, Hermione half turned to see who was calling her. It was Draco with his father falling behind him. "You know something," he stated to her once he reached her side.

Hermione didn't have time for them; she needed to get to Harry and Ron. She turned to ignore him, but Lucius grabbed her arm. "Don't be a fool! Let us help you!" the older Malfoy snarled.

Hermione pulled them both down to the ground. They reluctantly let her. "Look what they're doing," she instructed as she glanced between people to see the attackers.

"What?" Draco asked.

"Just look!" Hermione snapped. "They're drawing energy from him; magic." Lucius seemed to understand first. Hermione nodded her confirmation to him. "Just stay down. Or at least try to Disapparate." At this, Hermione got up and began her search for Ron and Harry again while begging for more time. She probably had seconds now.

From the corner of her eye, Hermione saw the attackers now turn their backs on their fallen one. At the same time she saw Ron; he was too near to them and too far from her. She'd have to stun him. Hermione raised her wand, the attackers raised theirs. Hermione was suddenly pushed down to the ground with a weight covering her body. No, she hadn't stunned Ron, he wasn't safe. Where was Harry?

She tried to fight off the person keeping her down, but he was too strong for her. Hermione heard it before she felt it. She turned her head into the person covering her. The force and power of the magic pushed them along the ground. She clung onto the stranger, gritting her teeth as the pain seared through her.

It felt like hours before it stopped, but it was just mere seconds. Windows shattered around them while bricks fell. Piercing screams went through the air. Finally they stopped moving. The sound of things falling and crashing to the ground slowly came to a stop. Hermione loosened her grip on her protector as she began to blink her eyes open, dusting falling into them.

Wiping away the dust, Hermione saw Lucius' face inches away from her; unconscious. This was her protector?! Seeing the blood coming from his temple, Hermione rolled him over gently and searched for a wand, hers now missing. Quickly she grabbed the nearest one and healed his wound before standing, ignoring her own pain, and frantically began her search for Ron.

The attackers were gone, but they most certainly were not forgotten. She'd heard of the magic they'd used, was researching it, but never in her wildest dreams thought anyone was powerful enough to display a hint of it. Hermione ran to the spot where they'd been; Ron hadn't been far from there. Around her people started to get up, many didn't. She prayed with all her might Ron and Harry got up.

Hermione gently moved people around the area finding some were still alive, but always with the thought of finding Harry and Ron in her mind. She wasn't sure how long she'd been looking, ten seconds, ten minutes or ten hours, when she found Harry. Knowing before even getting to him that he was dead, Hermione still tried hysterically to wake him up.

In her desperation, Hermione held listened to his chest, giving anything to hear a heartbeat. She was going to be sick. A metre or two to the left of Harry lay Ron, his lifeless eyes staring back at her. Something broke inside Hermione at that moment.

Gently Hermione began to stand up and as soon as she did, she felt the darkness engulf her. She welcomed it with open arms, yet not feeling the arms that caught her as she did.

"What do we do with her?" Draco asked his father in contempt. "I'm not stepping foot in whatever Muggle village she lives." Draco didn't hate the young woman in his father's arms anymore, but he certainly wasn't friends with her.

"Draco, she warned us what would happen. She saved us. We have no choice but to help her," Lucius informed his son.

"You have already returned the favour by saving her," Draco snapped.

"As much as I would like for it to end there, it won't. She healed my wound," Lucius lifted an eyebrow to indicate the deep scar at his temple. "It was more than just a scratch."

"That could have been done by anyone!" Draco pointed out to him.

"Draco! I'm not going to stand here and argue. She isn't getting any lighter!" And on that note, Lucius began to step through the mass of people lay on the floor, leaving his son to follow in his wake.

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Hermione regained consciousness slowly, the stinging pain on her uncovered arms not allowing her to do otherwise. Peering through her dry eyes Hermione lifted her arms to look; they were an angry shade of red from the grazes covering them. Contact with anything increased the pain tenfold.

All at once the memories flooded back to Hermione's now fully awake mind. Her heart shattered instantly. Feeling winded by it, Hermione was trying to take deep breaths as she half sobbed. "No!" she croaked, the tears forming. Hermione sat up and blindly took in the state of her blouse and trousers. Tears in the trousers showed more raw grazes on her legs.

Clutching at her blouse, her breathing ragged and painful, Hermione begged for the pain deep in her heart to stop. "Please...please...please..." was all she kept saying. Suddenly she scrambled to get off the bed; she couldn't breathe, she couldn't see. She just had to get to Harry and Ron. They were all alone.

Glancing round Hermione took in her surroundings. Where was she? Her eyes landed on the door as it opened. Lucius Malfoy was still in the same state as herself with the blood on his face now dry. She couldn't have been here that long as surely he would have changed by now. Without saying a word, Hermione tried to move pass him while searching her pockets for her wand; it was gone in the blast.

"Where are you going?" Lucius asked moving into her path. Hermione was starting to lose her breath from the sobs and pain seeping through her heart and soul.

"I have to go-...I have to find them- they...I have...I-" Hermione was still clawing at her blouse like it was a lifeline to surviving this. "They're alone- they can't be gone!" She pushed Lucius out of the way and started to walk down the hallway; she stopped after a few paces and turned back to him. "You have to take me back...I- I don't have a wand...please," Hermione begged. With a small nod of his head, Lucius took his wand out from the inside pocket of his cloak and moved to her.

As soon as they were back in Diagon Alley Hermione shrugged Lucius off. It had been less than an hour ago when he'd taken Hermione to the Manor and already there were medical staff moving from person to person while the able shifted the bodies to a clear area for relatives to identify them.

"Mr Malfoy," a timid voice spoke to him. It was Daisy, one of the receptionists in the Ministry. "I'm so sorry!" she cried at him.

"What for?" he snapped in disdain at her.

"Weren't you with her?" Daisy asked quietly.

"Who?" he demanded losing patience with her.

Daisy bit her lip nervously, "You best come with me."

Lucius silently followed Daisy to where they were putting the bodies. He spotted Hermione a few yards away hugging Ginny Weasley.

"Mr Malfoy," Daisy spoke up to gain his attention. He looked to where she was pointing. His world collapsed instantly at the sight before him. There lay his beautiful wife covered in blood and dust yet looking like she was just sleeping.

Lucius' knees gave way causing him to land hard on them. A memory that now seemed so long ago, but was just this morning, floated to the front of his mind. She was there to meet Draco and him for lunch. That's why he'd been there to help fight the attackers. How could he have forgotten when Lucius had searched for her at home?

A guttural roar escaped from deep within Lucius. Daisy moved to comfort him as he sobbed by his wife's body, but he roughly pushed her away. All she could do was watch him helplessly, not wanting to leave him alone in this state.

Hearing the cry, Hermione and Ginny looked over. "No one's escaped from this," Ginny sniffed.

"Wait here," Hermione croaked before moving to the weeping man. "L- Lucius," she spoke to him. Lucius ignored her. She knelt down in front of his slumped form. Daisy took this as her cue to be able to leave him now. "Lucius!" Hermione said more firmly now.

"Leave me be!" he growled in response. Taking a deep breath Hermione gently took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. "She was carrying a girl," Lucius said helplessly. Hermione glanced at the slim figure, a now obvious bump appearing through the thin material of the summer dress. She brought her eyes back to him, gone was the coldness in his grey eyes, just pain. "Our daughter."

Hermione softly pushed Lucius' stray hair back gently, yet more pain piercing her heart. "I promise you, we will have revenge," she told him her voice full of hate and venom. A steely resolve flashed across Lucius face before he pulled Hermione into a fierce embrace, not caring that they were mutual enemies.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **None of it's mine.

**A/N: **Sorry this took a little long. Uni and work is a little hectic at the moment. But thank you for the reviews and interest shown to this story, it always makes me smile to get a review. This chapter is a little short, but it's getting the story moving for me and I will definitely be making the next chapter longer. Hope you enjoy this and it keeps you interested.

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**Chapter One**

**Five months after the attack...**

Hermione scrunched her shoulders up to her head to help relieve the tense ache seeping through her muscles in her shoulders and upper back. Shivering slightly she pulled her cardigan tightly around her too skinny body. Taking one last look at the autumn mist that hovered above the grass as far as the eye could, Hermione moved away from the window, another shiver rippling through her body.

"Would you like the fire starting up?" Lucius asked her, not glancing up from the paper, as she took a seat at the desk.

"No, thank you. I have to go to work soon," Hermione said softly glancing tiredly at the two large piles of books she'd been through during the night.

Lucius flung the paper on to the empty seat by him on the couch in annoyance. "Breakfast?"

"I'll get something to eat at my office." She stood up and started taking some books back to the shelves. Lucius sunk back into the soft leather of the couch and watched her, his anger building up.

"Stop feeling so sorry for yourself! Self-pity will get you nowhere!" Lucius finally snapped when Hermione came back the desk near the window to collect the last couple of books.

Hermione slammed the books back down on the desk and glanced round the library of Malfoy Manor. "And what would you call drinking yourself into a drunken stupor every night?" Hermione snapped back. A flicker of hatred flashed through Lucius eyes. "What?! Ashamed that I know? Or just ashamed that right now we're on the same emotional level?" Lucius said nothing.

Once Hermione had put the last of the books away she picked up her bag and cloak and began to leave. "Your defence is getting weaker, not stronger," Lucius stated standing up to block her way, "You're going to work on it this evening."

Hermione stared straight ahead at Lucius chest. "Anything else?" she sighed finally looking up to meet his eye contact. There was nothing in her eyes anymore. No warmth, no love, no happiness...no life. This angered Lucius further. It meant she was giving up.

"I'll not let you go back on your word, Granger!"

_**Two weeks after the attack...**_

Hermione was sat at the kitchen table of her childhood home; the home she was meant to move out of to live with Ron. She was staring into her cup of coffee, untouched and cold, her mother had made it for her before leaving for work three hours ago. It was becoming a daily habit. Her parents were trying everything to help Hermione get through this, but she wasn't letting anybody in.

The afternoon sun was now starting to come through the window and blind Hermione. Summer was in full swing, even if the Wizarding world wasn't ready for it. A sombre mood was upon them all, one that hadn't been felt in two years.

Harry and Ron had been buried a week ago, side by side. It was a large affair with many people coming to say goodbye to the boy-who-lived. Hermione got angry every time she thought of this. More than half didn't know him. And what about Ron? Just a small fraction of the people was there for him!

A sudden 'crack' reverberated around the kitchen as Lucius Malfoy appeared across the table from Hermione. Both the sound and appearance of the man startled Hermione, causing her to knock her coffee over. Ignoring him, Hermione jumped up to grab a tea towel. She turned back to find the spillage gone and instead began to dab the small amount that had soaked into her shirt.

"Why are you here?" Hermione asked him, cursing herself for not getting another wand yet. Whether she liked it or not, she was going to have to go to Diagon Alley to get a wand.

"Why are _you_ here?" Lucius repeated the question back on her.

Throwing the tea towel on to the counter Hermione crossed her arms and glared at him. "What do you want?"

"Harriet tells me you have not been to work since...the attack," bitterness came over his voice on the last word.

"Why would Harriet be telling you that?" Hermione demanded indignantly flicking on the kettle. Lucius sneered at the Muggle contraption. Electricity was so archaic in his opinion.

"You made a promise to me, Miss Granger, and I hold promises in the same league as an Unbreakable Vow," Lucius explained to her like he would a child.

"I thought that Death Eaters didn't need help getting revenge- especially off Mudbloods," Hermione told him icily. Lucius was impressed at how easily she used the word.

"How I wish that was the case right now," Lucius smirked, "but you have information on their magic that I don't have. I can't face them if I don't have that information."

Without a word, Hermione stormed out of the kitchen. Lucius leaned heavily on his cane waiting for her return while listening to the kettle finish boiling. It only took her a few minutes. As she entered she threw a thick folder on the table, some of its contents spilling out. "That's everything I have," Hermione explained to him.

Lucius flung open the folder to find parchment with Hermione's handwriting on it, clippings from the Daily Prophet, letters and photos. "This may be everything you have here, but this isn't what I want." Hermione leant forward on the back of the chair she was stood near. "I want your knowledge, and just like with anything you learn, it has to be shown as well as read."

"What would I achieve from giving you this knowledge?" Hermione asked the question but wasn't really interested in the answer.

"I will teach you how to be powerful," Lucius stated simply. Hermione frowned. "You may have knowledge of spells, wandwork and how to protect yourself from them, but you still don't have the power behind them." Hermione stood up straight, narrowing her eyes at him. "Don't look so proud! The power comes with age or using the spells _many_ times."

Hermione bit the inside corner of her lips, Lucius had a point. At nearly 21, the age wasn't behind her, and since Voldemort's downfall Hermione hadn't been practising her hexes and curses as much as she should have. What could she have to lose?

**Present Day**

Hermione slunk into her office with a mumbled greeting to her co-worker, Harriet. "You're getting worse, Hermione," Harriet berated her, moving over to Hermione's desk. "When was the last time you ate?" Hermione stopped rifling through her bag to think. "If you've got to think about it, then it's been too long!"

"I just lose track of time...that's all," Hermione defended feebly. Harriet started into one of her firm lectures that always made Hermione feel guilty when Lucius stormed into her office. "What?" Hermione snapped when he loomed over her desk at her.

"Has she eaten yet?" Lucius demanded off Harriet, ignoring Hermione's stony face.

"I have _just_ arrived here!" Hermione informed him sourly.

"She doesn't remember the last time- wait! I just realised who you are! What's it to you if she ate or not?" Harriet asked with a sudden look of detest on her face.

"_That_ is none of your business!" Lucius sniped.

"It is where Hermione is concerned!" Harriet's voice went up an octave.

Before Hermione could stop them, Lucius and Harriet, who she was just on talking terms with, were hurling insults at each other over who had more right over Hermione's welfare. It was laughable when they didn't really care that much!

"Give me _strength_!" Hermione muttered picking up her bag and coat again, and stormed out. They only noticed when the door slammed shut after her. Together they immediately blamed each other.

Half an hour later Lucius finally found Hermione hidden in a corner of Flourish and Blott's reading a book that wasn't her usual reading material. "I will not keep chasing you every time you have a tantrum," Lucius sneered taking a seat next to her.

"That was the whole point!" Hermione snapped under her breath not taking her eyes off the book. They sat in silence for a moment before Lucius stuck an opened letter over the page Hermione was not reading. "You opened my post?"

"Your point being?" Lucius smirked letting the letter drop onto her lap. "You're ignoring your parents?" he half asked.

"You don't even _like_ me, so you do not have the right to ask me anything about my life," Hermione told him fiercely slamming the book shut.

"You are really not as smart as you appear...are you?" Lucius sighed tiredly. He grabbed her hand her left hand firmly, all show of affection for the patrons whilst really it prevented Hermione from leaving. She glared at his gloved hand over hers. "In order for my-" he quickly corrected himself, "-our revenge, I need the Hermione Granger who soaked up knowledge and power to protect herself. Not this bitter and twisted woman you've become who could not care less if she died," Lucius explained to her carefully. "This will be the last time I say this! I do not take promises lightly."

"I've given you everything I have, surely me dying would make you happy," Hermione said spitefully while snatching her hand back. Lucius felt his temper flaring as his hand twisted painfully on the handle of his cane.

Hermione glanced up, her eyes flickered to the deep scar on his temple from the cut she'd healed five months ago...it was then a thought came to her clear as day. The blood had been pouring out of his wound. Lucius frowned at her staring so closely at him. When Hermione lifted her hand to gently trace the scar with her fingertips Lucius froze.

"That's why you need me...so you can repay the debt. Then you won't need me anymore," Hermione said with the first hint of emotion in her voice since the attack.

Lucius, ignoring the slight reluctance he felt, pushed her hand away roughly. "The sooner the better!" he said icily ignoring the new reason that was making its appearance more and more frequently. He stood and left Hermione to her book.


End file.
